Kalanchoe plant named ‘Soret’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant named ‘Soret’, characterized by its numerous, large, and orange-colored flowers; upright and uniform plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green and glossy leaves; early flowering; and excellent postproduction longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Soret.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofKalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Soret’.

The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new freely-branching and freely-floweringKalanchoe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1998of the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Mount Loa, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 10,026, as the female, or seed, parent with the Kalanchoeblossfeldiana cultivar Carran, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The cultivar Soret was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in acontrolled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetativecuttings taken at De Lier, The Netherlands, since 1999 has shown thatthe unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Soret has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Soret’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Soret’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Numerous, large, and orange-colored flowers.

2. Upright and uniform plant habit.

3. Freely branching growth habit.

4. Dark green and glossy leaves.

5. Early flowering.

6. Excellent postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Mount Loa. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoediffered from plants of the cultivar Mount Loa in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were larger and more vigorous than plantsof the cultivar Mount Loa.

2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had larger leaves than plants of thecultivar Mount Loa.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was softer orange thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Mount Loa.

4. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of thecultivar Mount Loa.

Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Carran. In side-by side comparisons conducted bythe Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoediffered from plants of the cultivar Carran in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were larger than plants of the cultivarCarran.

2. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was softer orange thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Carran.

3. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered later than plants of thecultivar Carran.

Plants of the new Kalanchoe are similar in flower color to plants of theKalanchoe cultivar Sofie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,381. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of thecultivar Sofie in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more vigorous than plants of thecultivar Sofie.

2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more freely branching and moreuniform in plant habit than plants of the cultivar Sofie.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was softer orange thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Sofie.

4. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of thecultivar Sofie.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Kalanchoe, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Kalanchoe.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical pottedplant of ‘Soret’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photograph and for the description were grown during thespring in De Lier, The Netherlands, in a glass-covered greenhouse.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 19 to26° C.; night temperatures ranged from 20 to 21° C.; and light levelsranged from 10,000 to 50,000 lux. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuckin 12.5-cm containers and received long day/short night conditions (morethan 14 hours of light) for about 2 weeks; plants then receivedphotoinductive short day/long night conditions (minimum 14 hoursdarkness) until flowering. Plants were about 15 weeks old from anunrooted cutting when the photograph and the description were taken.

Botanical classification: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Soret.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Mount Loa,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,026.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Carran, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 11 days at 21° C. Winter: About 15days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 21 days at 21° C.Winter: About 28 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous, and well-branched.

Plant description:

Form.—Upright and uniform plant habit. Very freely flowering withnumerous compound cymes. Inverted triangle with rounded crown.Appropriate for 10 to 15-cm containers.

Crop time.—About 11 to 14 weeks: 3 to 4 weeks under long day/short nightconditions followed by 8 to 10 weeks of short day/long night conditions.Moderate growth rate.

Plant height at flowering.—About 20 cm.

Plant diameter at flowering.—About 19 cm.

Branching habit.—Freely branching; typically 7 to 8 lateral branchesdevelop per plant. Pinching (removal of terminal apex) is not requiredbut will enhance lateral branch development.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 13 to 19 cm. Diameter: About 3to 7 cm. Internode length: About 2 to 4 cm. Aspect: Erect. Strength:Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 147A.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, opposite, generally symmetrical.Quantity per plant: About 8 to 13 mature leaves and 14 to 22 generativeleaves. Length: About 11 cm. Width: About 7 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:Acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Crenate. Texture: Leathery, glabrous andsucculent. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:147A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B.Venation, upper surface: 147A to 147B. Venation, lower surface: 147B.Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 4 mm by 8 mm.Petiole color: Upper surface: 147A to 147B. Lower surface: 147B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single flowers arranged in compound dichasialcymes that arise from leaf axils. Freely flowering; more than 25 openflowers per lateral branch and more than 150 open flowers per plant.Flowering continuously for at least six weeks. Flowers persistent.Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Kalanchoe initiate anddevelop flowers under short day/long night conditions or during the lateautumn/winter/early spring. Flower initiation and development can alsobe induced under artificial short day/long night conditions (at least 14hours of darkness).

Time to flower.—Under short day/long night photoinductive conditions,about 8 to 10 weeks are required. Actual time to flower is primarilydependent upon temperature and light intensity.

Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production longevity; plantsmaintain good foliage and flower substance for about 45 days underinterior environmental conditions. Individual flowers last about 18 dayson the plant.

Flower diameter.—About 1.8 cm.

Flower height.—About 1.4 cm.

Flower buds.—Shape: Initially oblong, becoming tubular ovoid withdevelopment. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Color:Initially, 138C, then 63D with development.

Petals.—Quantity: Four fused at base. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About6.5 mm. Aspect: Flat to slightly upright. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color: When opening, uppersurface: 32A to 29A. When opening, lower surface: 29C to 29D. Fullyopened, upper surface: 29A to 29B; color does not fade with subsequentdevelopment. Fully opened, lower surface: 29C to 29D.

Sepals.—Quantity: Four fused at base. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2mm. Aspect: Erect. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture:Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 138D.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Erect.Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, leathery. Color: 138B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Eight. Anther shape:Flat, elliptic. Anther size: About 0.3 mm. Anther color: Close to 150D.Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 12A. Pistils: Quantity per flower:Four. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: 138D. Stigma shape: Flat,rounded. Stigma color: 8D. Ovary color: 138D.

Seed.—Length: About 0.1 mm. Diameter: About 0.05 mm. Color: Close to166C.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Kalanchoe have not been observedto be resistant to pathogens common to Kalanchoes.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Kalanchoe have been observed totolerate low temperatures of 12° C. and high temperatures of 35° C.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Kalanchoe perform have beenobserved to perform well in the garden and are tolerant to rain andwind.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant named‘Soret’, as illustrated and described.